Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Lady Eli adds glitter to Ballston Spa
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – As was the case last year, fans are advised not to leave Saratoga on Saturday following the running of the Travers Stakes.
That’s because Lady Eli, one of the biggest stars in racing, will be running in the Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa, the last of seven stakes run on Saturday’s 13-race card.
Last year, Lady Eli’s presence in the Ballston Spa was a bigger deal because it was her first start since overcoming a bout with laminitis that kept her away from the races for 13 months. She finished second to Strike Charmer, beaten a head.
This year, Lady Eli’s presence in the Ballston Spa came as a bit of a surprise because her trainer, Chad Brown, said following her victory here in the Grade 1 Diana that her next start would most likely be in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl at Belmont Park on Oct. 8.
But Brown did not want to wait 78 days to run Lady Eli again, and with this race right in her backyard and the filly training extremely well, he decided to put her in.
“It’s a short field,” Brown said. “There are some nice horses in there. She’s going to have to run her race to run them down, but I’m comfortable with the decision. Ultimately, that lengthy layoff between the Diana and Flower Bowl carries more risk than actually running her Saturday in a Grade 2.”
Lady Eli, a 5-year-old daughter of Divine Park, bobbled at the break of the Diana but came and caught the front-running Quidura to win the race by a head, her ninth victory in 12 career starts. Also in that race was Antonoe, also trained by Brown, who was beaten only a length by Lady Eli despite lacking running room late under Javier Castellano. She, too, will return in the Ballston Spa.
“Javier thinks if he had more room he could have got there,” Brown said. “You never know. Antonoe’s a nice filly. It’ll be a real race.”
Lady Eli and Antonoe have been workmates the last several weeks, and the two have been going head to head in hand.
Brown also sends out Roca Rojo, winner of the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs who finished last as the favorite behind Antonoe in the Grade 1 Just a Game on June 10 at Belmont.
“Roca needs to get started,” Brown said. “We’re planning on the First Lady at Keeneland [Oct. 7]. Running her in the Ballston Spa, I don’t see any other options with her.”
As was the case in the Diana, there is no confirmed frontrunner in the Ballston Spa. Dickinson, who beat Lady Eli in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in April, was second early in the Diana before backing up and finishing fifth of six.
“No real excuse other than she just had an off day, but on all figures she ran her race, that’s what’s kind of weird,” said Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of Dickinson.
Dickinson broke from the outside post 6 in the Diana and is in post 6 of six in the Ballston Spa.
On Leave was beaten a neck as the favorite in the De La Rose here Aug. 5. Last year, On Leave reeled off four consecutive victories, including a wire-towire win in the Grade 2 Sands Point at Belmont.
On Leave’s trainer, Shug McGaughey, said he thinks Dickinson could be the speed of the race, but said if that mare doesn’t want the lead, he’ll be glad to take it.
“If we broke good and were on the lead it wouldn’t bother me,” said McGaughey, who has Jose Ortiz to ride.
On Leave rallied five wide in the De La Rose, but couldn’t run down Thundering Sky.
“I was disappointed in her race – she’s better than that,” McGaughey said. “Maybe there was a little more give in the turf than she sort of likes. [Thundering Sky] ran a good race. We came out of our race really well and we should catch the kind of turf she really relishes on Saturday. I know it’s a tough race. I’m glad it has six horses in it and not 14. I know what she’s up against, but I’m looking forward to running her.”
Time and Motion won the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes here last summer when she kept the speedy Catch a Glimpse in close proximity. Trainer Jimmy Toner has felt that by keeping Time and Motion closer to the pace in some of her more recent races, it has taken away from her closing kick.